Dry separator



Feb. 12, 1929. 1,701,624

I M. J. LIDE DRY SEPARATOR Filed Feb. 1925 4 Sheets-Sheet l Fiy- 1 MJ. L/EE.

Feb. 12, 1929.

M. J., LIDE DRY SEPARATOR Filed Feb. 1925 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 glwcnl'oz M. J. L/DE.

Feb. 12, 1929.

M. J. LIDE DRY SEPARATOR 4 Sheets-Sheet Filed Feb. 5, 1925 w QN nucul'c! M. J. L /Df M. J. LIDE DRY SEPARATOR Feb. 12, 1929.

Filed Feb. 5, 1925 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Feb. 12, i929.

F F I C E PATENT MARTIN J". LIDE, OF BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA.

DRY SEPARATOR.

Application filed February 5, 1925. $eria1 No. 7,025.

tion and the-intermittent suspension of the particles thereon 'in'a medium, such as air in motion which will both assist the rise and resist the fall of the particles.

My invention contemplates imparting to the table low frequency reciprocations, preferably in different directions, to expedite the movement of the particles both lengthwise of and across the riflies, in combination with means to impart high frequency vertical vibrations to the table which will act to project or catapult the particles under treatment so that with each vertical, vibration of the table they will be causedto rise with and fall through air in motion.

tionof the table motions relatively to the air velocity so that the particles will be given the desired trajectory which can be deter mined empirically to give the best results with different materials that may be treated.

My invention may therefore be summarized in the statement that I'provide means for the high frequency catapulting of the particles and the cumulative Stratification thereof by the utilization of an air current so directed as to increase the rise and resist the fall of the particles each time they are projected from the table, such action preferably taking'placc concurrently with horizontal motion of the riflied table calculated to accelerate their travel toward the points of discharge. The general mechanism for imparting motion to the table is designed on. the general lines of the table operating mechanism described in my pending applications SerialNos. 712,589 and 4,643, such My invention contemplates the co-ordiha mechanism with the table shown in dotted lines.

Fig. 4 is a fragmental cross-sectional view of the table taken on the line 44 of Fig. 2. 1

Fig. 5 is a detail view of the eccentric weight for vibrating the table vertically.

Fig 6 is a detail view of one of the cam actuated rockers for imparting horizontal motion to the table.

Fig. 7 is a detail view partly in section of one. of the rocking stanchions upon which the table is yieldinglymounted; and

Fig. 8 is a chart indicating different tra- 'jectories of the particles relative to the table surface when the latter has the amplitude of vibration of one-eighth of an inch, the

reverse curve indicating a complete cycle of oscillation of the table and the parabolic curves, the motion impartedto the particles through still air by three different frequencies of'vibration of the table.

Fig. 9 is a view corresponding to Fig. 4 showing a modified arrangement" for the separated particles.

Similar reference numerals refer to similar parts throughout the drawings.

Since the supporting and actuating mechanism, as shown, for the table is more particularly described and claimed in my pending applications aforesaid, it will be but briefly described herein. Such a supporting and operating mechanism comprises a suitable braced structure preferably fabricated from standard rolled sections and comprising four corner uprights 1, which at one end of the frame carry brackets 2 and at oneside of the frame carry brackets 3. A suitable power driven shaft 4 is journaled in the brackets 2 and has mounted thereon a pair ofcams 5, each of which actuates a rocker 6 fast ona rocker shaft 7 journaled in the brackets 52. As shown in Fig. 6, a common control shaft 8 may be used to drive a pair of bevel gears 9 meshing gears 10' fast on the lower end of screw shafts 11, one of which is mounted on each rocker 6 and has its \upper end in threaded engagement with an adjustable yoke 12 connected by flexible connections 13 to an operating rod 14. These rods 14 are connected to brackets 15, shown in section in Fig. 3, which are rigidly attached to the bottom of the table at each side Opposite to the rods 14 I connect springs 16 to the brackets 15 and zontal plane as .it rocks thereon.

these springs are in turn connected by rods 17 to members 18 rigid with the frame. The cam motion imparted to the rockers will thus reciprocate the table endwise, the table being returned by the action of the springs 16, and the cams being designed to give a qiliick stroke to the table away from the disc arge, the table having a relatively slow return towards and responsive to sprin 16.

The shaft 4 carries a gear 19 meshing a gear 20 on a cam shaft 4 which is provided with cams 5 which control rockers 6 keyed on a rocker shaft 7 and acting through flexible connections 13 to impart motion to rods 14 which extend practically across the width of the.table and are connected to brackets 15 fast onthe table. A spring 21 is interposed in each rod 14 to enable it to yield slightly. If desired the connection of the rods 14 to their respective rock ers may be adjustable, as shown in Fig. 6, or, as shown in Fig. 3, the rods. may simply have a direct connection by a flexible joint 13 to the rockers 6 and 6. By these arrangements transverse and endwise reciprocations are imparted to the table in a substantially horizontal plane and various adjustments and controls can be effected so that the frequency and length of the reciprocations can be varied together or relatively. The separator is mounted on suitable rocking and yielding supports, those preferred being shown in Fig. 7 and com prising stanchions, each formed by a tube 22 carrying a sprocket 23 fast on its lower threaded end which engages the threaded portion of the shank I242. This shank has a convex rocker head 25 resting on a rocker plate 26. A squared recess 27 is formed in the bottom of the rocker face and a square pin 28 projects into this recess to hold the rocker against rotation but free to roll on the plate. The upper end of the stanchion carries a stud 29 which engages in a coiled spring 30 that in turn receives a shank 31 having a convex-rocker head 32 which bears against a plate 26 having a guide pin 28 passing therethrough and engaging in a round socket 27 in thehead 32 so that the head can turn with the tube. The heads 32 and 25 are preferably struck on curves having diameters corresponding to the length of the stanchion so as to give the table lateral motion in substantially the same hoil'lr T e springs permit the table to move freely both vertically and in all directions horizontally. The lower plate 27 is connected by the pin 28 to one of the bottom elements 33 of the frame work and the upper plate is connected by the pin 28 to the bottom 34 of the wind compartment 35, upon which table 36 is mounted.

The table is made of a perforated plate the upon which I mount riflies 37 extending lengthwise thereof and the table is shown of the irregular parallelogram type with acute angles adjacent tothe point of feed of material and to the junction of the discharge end and side of the table. I mount above the table 36 an upper wind compartment 38 which is connected overhead by means of a nozzle 39 and a flexible connection 40 to an air return pipe 41 leading outwardly and of a motor 49, said shaft having flexible couplings therein on each side of the motor and carrying overhung beyond the bearings unbalanced weights 51 which, as they rotate, will impart. vertical vibrations to the table. The preferred type of weight is shown in Fig. 5 and is eccentrically mounted upon an inner eccentric'52 keyed on the shaft 48. A set screw 53 will hold the eccentric weight elements in the desired adjustment for imparting the amplitude of vibration desired to the table.v The table is normally disposed at an inclination, as shown in Fig. 1, and material to be treated is introduced from any suitable source through afeed chute 54 entering through the upper wind compartment 38 at the high left hand corner of the table, (Fig. 2). To enable the table-to be tilted without chang ing its level and while the machine is in operation, I provide a sprocket chain 55 which connects the sprockets 2 3 on the two stanchions on the feed side of the table.

-By pulling this chain in the desired direction these two stanchions will have their tubular bodies 22 rotated relatively to the threaded shanks on the non-rotatable'heads 25 and thus will be simultaneously elongated or shortened so the level of the table lengthwise thereof will remain undisturbed while its tilt crosswise will be varied. The sprockets being at the base of the stanchions will have practically no motion and thus the rocking o the stanchions will not interfere with their adjustment.

In Fig. 4 the side walls of the upper compartment along the'lowerside and end Walls project down below an outer flange 56 on the table over which the material must pass to fall off the table. This tends to seal the upper chamber along these discharge edges. In Fig. 9 I provide a trough 57 along the tables discharge edges within the space enllO' these troughs lead at an incline towards the lower discharge corner of the table and there have down spouts 58 which discharge into respective receptacles 59. Each spout is preferably sealed by a counterweighted check valve 60 which will open from time to time responsii e to the weight of accumulated particles in the spout to permit the particles to escape into the receptacle below.

Assuming that the blower is in operation and that the cam shafts are actuating the rockers to -reciprocate the table lengthwise and crosswise, and that the motor 48 is driving the eccentric weights to vertically vibrate the table, it will result in the table receiving endwise and lateral reciprocations in a substantially horizontal plane and at a relatively low frequency while at the same time itis being vertically vibrated at high frequency. The action on the particles to be separated will be best understood by reference to Fig. 8 where the curve AA represents a complete vibrating cycle of the table having the amplitude of vibration of oneeighth of an inch. The curves A--B AC and A- D represent the respective trajectories of particles relative to the table for three different frequencies of vibration, the air being still. At too low a frequency, the particles'would rise and fall with the table and have no appreciable trajectory relation to the table. As the frequency is increased the trajectory increases as indicated for instance by the curve A-B, the separation of this curve from the curve A-A on the tables down stroke representing the extent ofsthe trajectory during which the particle will be out of contact with the table and free for stratification by the assistant and resistant action of the air current. As the frequency is further increased the particle will follow the curves A-C or A-D showing much greater trajectories and longer periods of suspension. As the particles are projected upwardly with the current the lightest particles will rise highest and, conversely, on the descent of the particles against the air current, the lightest particles will be suspended longest. This gives during each vibratory cycle of the table a I tendency toward stratification according to specific gravity. The repetition of the cycles will effect complete stratification even though the effect of each cycle be very slight. Since the action of an air current produces a buoyant force directly proportional to the projected area of a article in suspense in such current, and since this force is opposed biy the weight of the particle which varies irectly with its volume, and since with an increase in the lineal dimensions of a particle its volume will increase more rapa close sizing of the material to be separated isnecessary unless the particle is catapulted or projected from the surface of the'table thereby to separate the particles from contact with each other and the table and to subject them most effectively to the stratifying action of the air current while suspended. By drawing the table with rapid concomitant movements towards its feed end and higher side and letting it return relatively slowly towards its discharge end and side the desired flow of material-will result diagonally across the riflles, which flow is assisted by the tilting of the table.

The length and frequency of the hori- ZOIllLfll reciprocations and the amplitude and frequency of the vertical vibrationsand the regulation of the air current velocity all represent flexible elements of control, permitting the mechanism to be'adapted to most eflieiently perform the particular work at hand. The rocking yielding stanchions, and the flexible joints in the. air pipe connections permit the table to move freely in whatever direction propelled. By using the closed cycle for the air currents, I can eliminate dust.

With the closed circuit air current which I employ, the air is dust laden, or saturated with dust at all times when the apparatus is in operation. Some of the dust particles in the circuit and passing upwardly through the bed of material on the table find lodgement in the material bed and are carried away, by mechanical separation, with the lighter material over the edge of the table,

while other dust particles are carried upwardly from the table with the air current leaving the table. Ev this manner, I am en-- abled to do away with the necessity of employing a dust catcher or other such apparatus. Inasmuch as there is no inflow nor outflow of air from the circuit, no dust is carried outwardly by the air current.

By using the hopper bottom (ii for the lower air compartment 35 and vibrating the table I can prevent material collecting in the bottom air compartment and get a more unichanges in arrangement and substitution of equivalents may be madeby those skilled in the art without departing from the invention as defined in the appended claims.

the-horizontal reciprocations, and means to Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Let.

ters Patent, is

1. In a dryseparating apparatus, a rifiled table, means to pass the air current upwardly therethrough, means to impart reciprocating movement substantially horizontally in two directions to the table, means for varying the phase relation of thehorizontal reciprocations, means to concomitantly impart to the table vertical vibrations of relatively higher frequency than lecting means respectively below and above the table connected by a closed circuit with an air blower therein to produce a closedcircuit air and entrained dust circulation, in combination with means to regulate the volnmetric flow of air and dust in said closed circuit.

i. A dry separating apparatus according to claim 1, in which the mechanism for imparting horizontal motion to the table comprises means to move the table laterally, means to move the table longitudinally, and mechanism to cotemporaneously drive said means. V,

' 5. A. dry separating apparatus comprising a rifiled perforate table. an air distribution compartment below the table. an air and dust collection compartment above the table, means to induce a flow of air and dust from the collection to the distribution compartment, said means comprising flexible connections, rocking flexible supports for the table, and means to impart both vertical and horizontal reciprocatory movements to the table cotemporaneously. i 6. A dry separating apparatus according to claim 1, in which the means for imparting vertical reciprocation comprises a motor and eccentric weights driven thereby, said motor and weights being mounted on the table and rocking flexible supports beneath the table.

7. A dry separating apparatus comprising a perforate table, rocking yieldable supports therefor, means to impart motion to the tableto induce a flow of material across the rifiles towards the discharge portion of the table, inclined collecting troughs for the separated material, air sealed means for discharging the material from said troughs,

and means to induce a closed circulation of air and entrained dust through the table, said means comprising an enclosed air and dust collecting compartment above the table, a duct leading directly therefrom to a blower and a duct leading directly from the blower to the table.

8. A dry separating apparatus according to claim 7, in which the enclosed air and dust collecting compartment forms a substantially air tight closure above the table and said inclined troughs.

9. A dry separating apparatus, comprising a perforate table, means to agitate and feed material across the table, and means to subject the material on the table to a closed circuit air current comprising means to collect the dust laden air rising from the table and return it in a closed cycle through the table.

10. A dry separating apparatus according to claim 9. in which the means for agitating the material on the table comprises mechanism to rapidly ibrate the table vertically, and the air return means includes a hopper bottom under the screen.

v In testimony whereof I afiix my signature MARTIN J. LIDE. 

